POST FALLS — North Idaho legislators may be dropping Gov. Butch Otter from their Christmas card lists.

The governor wasn’t present, but nonetheless he was treated pretty much like a human dart board Saturday morning, as seven of the nine Senate and House members from Kootenai County met the public in a town hall event at the Post Falls Senior Center.

The meeting was intended to give legislators a chance to sum up the 2017 session for their constituents, but most of the dialogue instead was aimed at Otter — and specifically several bills he’s vetoed despite overwhelming support in both chambers of the Legislature.

The displeasure was two-fold: Besides the fact some high-profile bills were killed over the clear will of legislators, the governor has exercised a number of vetoes since the Legislature wrapped up for the year.

“It’s not right that he should be taking these decisions entirely upon himself like a one-man government,” said Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur d’Alene.

Addressing suggestions that the Legislature should not hang around Boise for an extra five days in order to consider overriding such vetoes, Souza said: “It’s always been considered a matter of cost, $37,000 or so per day to keep everyone there. But given what we’ve seen this year, maybe it would be worth it.”

Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, wasn’t mincing words about Otter’s post-session veto spree.

“I’m furious,” Barbieri said. “The Legislature’s power has been marginalized. Until we get a (real) Republican governor, we’re just going to be swimming in circles.

“We have serious separation of power issues here.”

Barbieri hardly sounded like a lone wolf during the Saturday event, which was sponsored by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee.

As the question-and-answer session stretched well beyond the planned two hours, four different legislators used the word “marginalized” in their assessment of Otter’s actions.

“The governor vetoed the invasive species bill,” said Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene. “This threat (of Quagga mussel infestation) is dangerous for all of Idaho, but especially up here with Lake Coeur d’Alene.

“This is something that could cost us up to $300 million, and the bill simply authorized hiring one extra person to coordinate between the governor’s office and the (U.S.) Department of Agriculture.

“We’re talking about one added person here. The cost as opposed to the risk is incredible.”

Souza claimed some of the vetoes were purely political — or worse, moves to please one or two people.

She noted Otter is ramming through a laundry list of vetoes which the Legislature cannot challenge once it has been adjourned sine die (translated from Latin, the phrase means “without days,” or in practical terms, no schedule set to resume).

“We passed a bill authorizing an employment study based simply on Idaho baselines,” Souza said. “At first, the human resources director (Susan Buxton) said she was fine with the study, which is something we really need because employment comparisons with other states in the region aren’t accurate.

“Then she changed her mind and talked to the governor. The next thing we know, the governor vetoes the bill. That is taking the Legislature right out of the process.

“Our function is completely removed by executive actions like that.”

Several legislators present on Saturday indicated they expected Otter to announce another critical veto before Wednesday’s deadline — striking down a bill (passed 25-10 in the Senate and 51-9 in the House) that would eliminate the state’s 6 percent sales tax on retail food items.

Several panelists pointed out the tax hurts the state by pushing border residents — like those in Kootenai County — to shop in adjacent states, and that it would create the equivalent of a $79 million tax rebate for Idaho residents.

During Saturday’s meeting, there were several references to a bill introduced in the 2016 session by Sen. Steve Vick, R-Dalton Gardens, who was out of state this weekend.

Vick’s bill essentially would make it mandatory for any governor to call the Legislature back into session to consider vetoes and potential overrides if formally requested by the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

The bill passed the Senate last year, but was held up by the House in what Souza called “political maneuvering.”

Several legislators said Saturday they hoped to see Vick’s bill brought up again next session.

“After what’s happened this year,” Barbieri said, “there should be plenty of appetite for it.”

In addition to Souza, Nonini and Barbieri, the town hall panelists included Rep. Paul Amador, R-Coeur d’Alene; Rep. Don Cheatham, R-Post Falls; Rep. Eric Redman, R-Athol; and Rep. Ron Mendive, R-Coeur d’Alene.

Besides Vick being on a trip out of state, Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d’Alene, missed while attending a family event.